Articles tagged “disney”

Disney has a lot of plans for its theme parks — more hotels, attractions, price levels, and intellectual property tie-ins. As the current CEO prepares to depart in a year and a half, we're getting more curious about who will replace him, and what that person's vision will include.

Today's theme parks are a far cry from the previous generation. Disney is still setting the pace, but the offerings, pricing, and technology are evolving fast.

The most famous theme park operators in the world are expanding globally and improving their original properties in an effort to attract bigger audiences at home and abroad. Listen to this episode for a wide-ranging conversation about how that's happening and whether it's likely to pay off.

The Shanghai Disney victory lap will likely continue for some time, but we'd love to see some actual numbers one of these days.

Like Chinese travelers, Ctrip is breaking out of its domestic shell and looking to become much more of an international player. There is vast potential for Ctrip still to take advantage of in China and then there is a whole wide world out there too as it begins to service customers outside of China. But can the company tackle both ambitions simultaneously? Ctrip has great partners -- 16,000 of them, actually -- to assist but the partners may also turn out to be formidable competitors, as well.

Theme parks need customers to be thrilled, not just satisfied — so it's no surprise they've been careful about changing a pricing system that has been in place for ages.

Disney is not immune to the worries of the world — its Paris theme park is struggling and the strong dollar is keeping some international visitors from coming to the U.S. properties — but the company had a robust quarter nonetheless.

All eyes will stay on the new resort to see how Disney pulls off its entrance into a highly desirable market.

These numbers show that while Disney still sits comfortably on top, its fiercest rival is showing strong growth.

Disney still had a profitable quarter, but investors are likely to be nervous after disappointing results and continued uncertainty over the company's leadership.